On Changzhou Island in Guangzhou, there is now a huge construction site, and a military academy called the Whampoa Naval Academy is under construction, which is the original very small Whampoa Military Academy Naval Branch. Now that the National Revolution is about to achieve a complete victory, the National Revolutionary Army will soon be replaced with the signboard of the National Defense Force, and China's national defense is of course inseparable from a powerful navy, so the issue of naval construction has now been put on the agenda.

The Minister of the Navy is Admiral Cheng Biguang, who led the main naval force of the Beiyang Government to the side of the Protector Military Government, and the Chief of Naval Operations is also a revolutionary veteran on the Kuomintang side, a figure in the Guangdong Navy, named Chen Ce. After the establishment of the Admiralty and the Naval Operations Department and the 227th Presidential Command Order, the original Naval Academy naturally had to be separated from the Whampoa Military Academy controlled by the War Department and became the Whampoa Naval Officers School directly under the Admiralty. Moreover, in the near future, the capital of the Nationalist Government will be moved to Nanjing, and the army and air force branches of the Whampoa Military Academy will be moved to Nanjing, and the school buildings on Changzhou Island in Guangzhou, including the military academy wharf where Chang Ruiqing is now located, will become part of the Whampoa Naval School.

Chang Ruiqing and Chen Duxiu, premier of the State Council of the Nationalist Government, came to the Whampoa Military Academy Wharf to greet the American guests. Along with them was a guard of honor composed of cadets from the Army, Navy, and Air Force branches of the Whampoa Military Academy. More than 300 young men dressed in tweed uniforms were like a group of majestic sculptures, lined up in three columns, holding rifles with bayonets, silently waiting for the arrival of the Americans. On their side. There's also a small marching band, which is rehearsing the tune of the American national anthem over and over again.

Chang Ruiqing was also wearing a tweed military uniform, and he was also wearing a long military coat, holding the command knife and chatting with Chen Duxiu while waiting. As for other dignitaries of the National Government, they did not appear here...... After all, the governor of the United States and the Philippines came to China in the name of "the 227th private champion and the eighth monthly ticket to ask for subscribers." The national government is also not good at giving excessive courtesy. The Americans should not be made to feel that China is in urgent need of their help.

In fact, in the original preparation of the welcome specifications, there was no Chen Duxiu, the prime minister who had a lot of opportunities. He was dragged by Chang Ruiqing to the Whampoa Military Academy dock. In Chang Ruiqing's words: "This meeting with the US envoy is an opportunity for the world to understand that China's GCD is not a puppet supported by Russia's GCD." The foreign policy of the Chinese GCD proceeds only from the national interests of China and is not constrained by the policy of the Russian Communist Party. ”

Regarding Chang Ruiqing's rhetoric, Chen Duxiu scoffed. Now there is probably no second person in the world except Chang Ruiqing who has such a strange idea, right? However, he still came to the Whampoa Military Academy dock with Chang Ruiqing, ready to meet with the US envoy as soon as possible.

At this time, a long whistle sounded in the distance. A small pilot ship led the way, and an American cruiser, converted from a merchant ship, slowly sailed into the sight of Chang Ruiqing and Chen Duxiu.

"Brother Yaoru, I wonder if this American envoy will be better spoken than the British envoy? That Governor of Hong Kong is very difficult! Looking at the approaching US ** ship, Premier Chen muttered in a low voice. Chang Ruiqing on the side smiled faintly when he heard this: "There will be a breakthrough." Brother Zhongfu, you can rest assured. Whether the Americans or the British, it won't be long before they'll give in to us. ”

"How so?" Chen Duxiu frowned.

Chang Ruiqing said with a smile: "These Western countries are masters of playing balance, and the policy they have always implemented in Asia is to suppress China and support Japan. It is nothing more than because China is big and Japan is small, and Japan is being fostered to contain China. However, now that the Japanese have swallowed nearly 400,000 square kilometers of Russia's territory in one go, it is likely that they will support and control the Far Eastern Republic in the future. Now there are signs that little Japan will be strong and difficult to control, and if they Britain, the United States and France continue to blindly suppress China. In less than 10 years, Japan will be the hegemon of the Eastern world! ”

"But a powerful Japan is also a useful tool to contain Soviet Russia****??"

As soon as Chen Duxiu heard this, he was wholesaled from the Soviet Russian ambassador Yue Fei. Although the current China and G are not puppets supported by Russia and G, they always have some sense of closeness to the fraternal parties flying the same banner. It's also easier to believe Yue Fei's nonsense.

Chang Ruiqing sneered: "Wouldn't a stronger China also be able to curb the spread of extremism in Russia to the south?" At present, in the eyes of Western countries, China's GCD and Kuomintang are at best a mixture of social democracy and anarchism, as well as populism and nationalism, and are not GC at all. ”

Speaking of this, he leaned over and whispered in Chen Duxiu's ear: "And our Commander-in-Chief Jiang will soon stretch out his hand to the north bank of the Heilongjiang River!" Our honeymoon period with Soviet Russia is almost over. ”

"Is there such a thing?" Chen Duxiu was taken aback and looked up at Chang Ruiqing: "Where did you get the news?" Why would he do that? ”

Chang Ruiqing shrugged his shoulders and said with a smile: "The news is from Mr. Sun, absolutely reliable****??" As for Jiang Jshi's purpose, I guess on the one hand, it is the instigation of Japan, and on the other hand, it probably wants our GCD to be in a dilemma on the territorial issue north of the Heilongjiang River, right****?? After all, it is our China's lost territory, and it is always good that he wants to take it back, but if we GCD oppose it, we will lose the banner of nationalism, and if we support his behavior, it will make Russia and G turn against us. In short, Lao Jiang is taking a wonderful move, and we are a little difficult to do. ”

Chen Duxiu's face showed an anxious expression: "Brother Yaoru, what is Mr. Sun's attitude?" Is it for or against? ”

Chang Ruiqing smiled faintly, did not answer Chen Duxiu directly, but pointed to the Piranha that had already docked, and said with a smile: "If China wants to be strong, it can't only have 'old friends' like Soviet Russia, but also new friends like the United States, Britain, and France, as long as they can wait for me equally." We can all be friendly with them! Saying that, he made a gesture of please: "Premier Chen, please first, you are the protagonist today!" ”

Chen Duxiu glanced at Chang Ruiqing, who was talking about him left and right, and smiled bitterly. Just a few strides to the gangway that the Piranha had lowered. Chang Ruiqing followed half a step behind him, and the military band on the dock also played a welcome song.

Several American officials walked down the gangway, starting with Harrison, the governor of the American Philippines, a handsome and tall white man, with a slender build, blond hair and blue eyes, who knew at a glance that he had a lot of Germanic blood. He is a rare American expert on Asia, having served as a diplomat in both Japan and China. He is also fluent in Chinese and Japanese. Such an expert on Asian affairs is naturally on the orders of US President Wilson when he is visiting China at a time when the situation in Asia is in a state of great turmoil. Although he is only a "private person," his report to the US State Department and the US President is likely to become the basis for the future adjustment of US policy toward China.

Harrison was followed by the U.S. Consul General in Guangzhou, Jensen, a slightly stocky American. There is always a faint smile on his face. He boarded the ship when the Piranha docked in Hong Kong, and gave Harrison a brief briefing on the situation of the Nationalist Government in Guangzhou, and also mentioned some things about Chang Ruiqing and Chen Duxiu.

According to Jensen, Chang Ruiqing was a statist and social democrat, and may have some anarchist tendencies. If you want to compare him with the current political forces in Russia. He was more of a Socialist-Revolutionary than a Russian GCD. The famous Chinese terrorist, Zuo Min, the leader of the Red Brigade, is probably the same person as Chang Ruiqing!

As for Chen Duxiu, chairman of the Chinese G and premier of the National Government, in Jensen's view. At best, he is a moderate socialist, but he just hangs a GCD sign****?? Or rather. The current GCD in China is actually a mixture of nationalism and social democracy. There is not much gc-ism at all.

Jensen also made some analysis of the demands that the Nationalist Government might make in the negotiations, and he had been in close contact with the diplomatic personnel of the Nationalist Government before. Of course, I knew that the Nationalist Government wanted to overturn some of the unequal treaties signed by the Manchu Qing government and the Beiyang government, and wanted to give China a position where it could interact with the Western powers on an equal footing. If their demands are not met, there is a high probability that they will take unilateral action ****?? End the special rights and interests of the Western powers in China by force!

After listening to Jensen's introduction and analysis, Harrison couldn't help but sigh in his heart. It seems that the hegemony of the Western world in Asia will eventually ebb and flow! Japan, having seized the resource-rich territories of the Russian Far East, already had all the conditions to become a first-class power, but Britain, France, and the United States had nothing to do with them!

And now China is going to follow in the footsteps of Japan****?? This country already has the resources to become a great power, but it has been artificially bound by various unequal treaties. And the most important tool for Western countries to maintain this shackle is actually Japan! Aren't they raised as the watchdogs of the British Empire in Asia? But now the watchdog has turned into a tiger and is beginning to devour its weakened neighbor! In such a situation, the only correct choice for the Western powers is probably to let the Bolshevik thugs in Japan, China, and Russia fight each other and lose all the time, right? But first of all, it is necessary to prevent the two Eastern countries of China and Japan from forming any anti-Western alliance.

Thinking of this, the US envoy finally had a satisfied smile on his face, and he also strode forward to greet Chen Duxiu and Chang Ruiqing.

****??

Paris, Palace of Versailles, Hall of Mirrors.

"Mr. Prime Minister, the Americans' special envoy Harrison has arrived in Guangzhou, staying in a military academy of the Nationalist Government, and it is the terrorist Chang Ruiqing who goes to the dock to greet Harrison! It is not known what Mr. Harrison talked about with the terrorist. ”

Is it British Prime Minister Lloyd's who is talking? Georges, he came to France with French Prime Minister Clemenceau? George coordinated the positions of the two countries at the upcoming Versailles Peace Conference. As a result, at the Palace of Versailles, I heard the news of the "Vladivostok Christmas Incident" and the "Nenjiang Victory", so at this preparatory meeting held privately between Britain and France, there was also an additional question of the "Far Eastern crisis".

Of course, the so-called crisis in the Far East was not the main topic of the preparatory meeting. It was just a small issue that the leaders of Britain and France sat together and casually discussed after they had quarreled for the benefit of their respective countries.

Listened to Lloyd's? George's words, Clemenceau was simply silent. France's tiger prime minister, Clemenceau, was actually more concerned about the crisis in the Far East than his British prime minister. His focus, however, was not on China, but on the fate of White Russia. Because Russia was France's traditional ally in containing Germany, and France was also the largest creditor of the Tsarist government. If Russia finally fell into the hands of the Bolsheviks, the foreign country that would lose the most would surely be France! And now Japan's surprise attack on Belarus in the Far East will certainly tip the scales of victory in the Russian Civil War against the Bolsheviks, so the French prime minister almost hates Japan to the core.

As for China, what is it?? Clemenceau now has little time to think about the affairs of this country, and France's interests in China are not too much, even if it is taken back by the Chinese, there is not much to lose. If you have this energy to entangle with the Chinese, it is better to knock Germany a little more at the Versailles Peace Conference!

Thinking of this, he reluctantly towards Lloyd? George smiled: "Mr. Prime Minister." If you have any ideas, just say it directly, I remember that your British envoy has also arrived in Guangzhou a long time ago, how are you talking with the Chinese? Is there no agreement? ”

Lloyd's? George smiled and shook his head slightly: "Actually, we still have some consensus with the Chinese National Government. For example, if they agree not to take back Hong Kong for the time being, they can also continue to fulfill the repayment and compensation obligations of the previous government.

Clemenceau snorted softly: "What about the conditions? Do the Chinese want to recover all the British concessions and public concessions except Hong Kong, and also take back the customs to raise tariffs significantly? ”

Lloyd's? George nodded with a wry smile: "They also want the British government to guarantee for them to borrow money from the British syndicate, and the amount of borrowing is much larger than the amount they are going to repay to the UK." I think they will probably make the same request to France and the United States, right? ”

Clemenceau shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands: "It seems that I can only agree to their request." What else can I do? Send troops to fight the Chinese? Mr. Prime Minister, I think you should remember that they just wiped out a Russian army of about 60,000 people, right? With this victory, they are indeed entitled to get back the concession and customs duties. There is no need for us to entangle with the Chinese for this little profit! Lloyd, what we have to think about now is the question of permanent peace in Europe and the problem of severe sanctions against Germany, the culprit who undermines peace in Europe! ”

Lloyd's? George couldn't help but smile wryly. Britain and France were sharply divided over how to deal with the defeated Germany, and the French clearly wanted to settle the old rival once and for all. Dismembering Germany into a small state, while annexing the industrial regions of western Germany. That's it. France is about to establish hegemony on the European continent****?? Britain does not want to see the resurrection of Napoleon's empire now!

"Mr. Chancellor, of course, Germany has to impose severe sanctions, but at the same time, we cannot take what is happening in the Far East lightly****?? I would like to remember that your Emperor Napoleon once portrayed China as a sleeping lion, which, if awakened, would pose a great threat to our civilized world! So we must be vigilant enough about China's rise. Our two countries should join hands and be consistent on the issue of China, we must not back down from their diplomatic blackmail, and we must teach China to respect some basic rules of the civilized world before it rises to become another Japan! At the same time, we will also try our best to safeguard the special rights and interests of our two countries in China. ”

Lloyd's? George still brought the conversation back to China, and the British prime minister clearly had no intention of giving up the privileges of the British Empire in China, at least not lightly.

Clemenceau pressed his forehead and sighed: "Mr. Prime Minister, it's okay to ask our French Republic to be consistent with Britain on the issue of China, but ****??" France can only express its moral support for British actions in China, and it is impossible for France to send troops to China! France has already shed too much blood for the war in Europe, and now the French people will not support the government to get involved in a new war for a small profit! ”

"Moral support is enough." George? Lloyd nodded with a smile: "Our British Empire does not intend to fight a real war with the Chinese, we just need to make full use of the existing chips in our hands, and then exert some military pressure appropriately, maybe we can force the Chinese to respect the rules of the game in the civilized world." ”

Listening to the British, Clemenceau simply nodded noncommittally. He thought a little in his heart that the so-called bargaining chip was nothing more than the right to participate in the Paris Peace Conference, and perhaps he could also play right and wrong between China and Japan, and use Germany's rights and interests in Shandong as a bargaining chip to blackmail. And the military pressure is estimated to be to send a fleet to demonstrate to the Chinese, and it is absolutely impossible for the British Army to dispatch ****??? If none of these methods work, the British will probably have no choice but to give up?!!!